Help make an Oregon State Park

Come out to the park next week

We’ll do a ceremony with our neighbors and partners on Sept. 25, then the first full weekend for the park will be Sept. 28-29. The tent campground will be open (running water, vault toilets), but parts may still close every once in a while as construction finishes up later into fall. Our schedule the last weekend in September:

Saturday, Sept. 28

9-11:30 AM: 2 mile Guided Hike by Cottonwood Staff—meet at the trailhead parking lot near the campground; hike will talk about the cultural and natural history of the area plus talk about the past, present and future of Cottonwood State Park

10 AM and 1 PM: Fishing clinic (for youth under the age of 12) and “Let’s Go Birding”

1 PM: “Wind and Water; The Legacy of the American-style Windmill” presentation

Sunday, Sept. 29

9-11:30 AM: 2 mile Guided Hike by Cottonwood Staff—meet at the trailhead parking lot near the campground; hike will talk about the cultural and natural history of the area plus talk about the past, present and future of Cottonwood State Park

10 AM and 1 PM: Fishing clinic (for youth under the age of 12) and “Let’s Go Birding”

The campground is primitive — no water, power or sewer hookups — but you’re welcome to bring your RV for self-contained camping. A couple of the sites in the main campground are pull-through. There is running water in the campground, just not at each site.

I’m interest in the hunting opportunities, Upland game birds in particular. How I would I go about finding information on where to hunt, species availability , that sort of thing. Most interested in upland game birds. Thank you, can’t wait to visit!

More information on hunting public lands is available from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, but most of the park is open to hunting (there are signs marking the no-hunt area … basically around the developed facilities). This is a pack-it-in/pack-it-out park and we ask you not dress game inside the developed park area. Chukar are popular here.

If I brought my vintage camp trailer, can I use a generator? Also, we float the John Day almost every year. Where is the campground located in proximity to Clarno and Service Creek? Really looking forward to joining you all soon!

As the park matures and we get more of the riverside plants restored, we hope to open up a couple walk-in tent sites downstream from the developed portion of the park. It is remotely possible there will be a few RV sites in the distant future, but our emphasis is on tent camping for the moment.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. The primitive campground is perfect for a small self-contained RV like yours, and while we don’t take reservations, there should be plenty of room (even on weekends) until spring.

Can anyone post photos of the campground? I see the one photo above, but want to see more. Is there (or will there be) grassy or duffy areas to set up a tent? Or is it all on gravel for now? And, yes, I am strictly a tent camper.

It’s going to take a while for the landscaping to take hold, and even then, most of the camping area is indeed graveled to keep the very loose soil from either compacting or blowing away. Here’s one photo of the hiker-biker camp from the opening week. You can see the tent camp in the background:

Thank you for preserving this beautiful land that my father and his family grew up on, and his siblings lived on for many years. The Opening Ceremony was very special to the Murtha family, thank you to everyone who attended, it was a very special day for all. So happy that future generations will be able to enjoy this beautiful State Park in Oregon!